Read Psalm 17:7-9, Psalm 31:1-3, and Psalm 91:2-7. What does the psalmist do in times of trouble?The psalmist encounters various sorts of troubles and, in them, turns to the Lord, who is a refuge in every adversity. Trust is a deliberate choice to acknowledge God’s lordship over one’s life in all circumstances. If trust does not work in adversity, then it will not work anywhere.The psalmist’s testimony, “I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust’ ” (Ps...
Jan 23, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1918
Read Psalm 40:1-3, Psalm 50:15, Psalm 55:22, and Psalm 121. How is God involved in our daily affairs?The Lord reveals Himself in Scripture as the living God who acts on behalf of those who call upon Him.For the psalmist, “the Lord [is] always before me” (Ps. 16:8). Therefore, he trusts God and calls upon Him (Ps. 7:1, Ps. 9:10). The Lord will hear him even when he cries out of the “depths” (Ps. 130:1, 2), conveying that no life circumstance escapes God’s sovereign dominion. Thus, the psalmist’s ...
Jan 22, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 1917
Read Psalm 139:1-18. How does this text poetically depict God’s power (Ps. 139:1-6), presence (Ps. 139:7-12), and goodness (Ps. 139:13-18)? What does God’s greatness say about God’s promises?Did you ever want to help someone but had no means? Likewise, some people tried to help you but did not understand your needs. Unlike even the most loving and best-intentioned people, God has both the perfect knowledge of us and of our circumstances, and also the means to help us. Therefore, His promises of ...
Jan 21, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1916
Read for This Week’s StudyPs. 139:1-18; Psalm 121; Ps. 17:8; Matt. 23:37; 1 Cor. 10:1-4; Heb. 4:15, 16.Memory Text:“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17, NKJV).Again and again, the Psalms highlight the truth that the Sovereign Lord, who created and sustains the universe, also reveals Himself as a personal God who initiates and sustains a relationship with His people.God is close to His people and to His creation, both in heaven and ...
Jan 20, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 1915
Read Psalm 86:5, 15; Ellen G. White, “God’s Love for Man,” pp. 9–15, in Steps to Christ. How does the truth that God is love help us better understand the various descriptions of God and His deeds in the Psalms?This week’s study focuses on some key descriptions of God and His activities, which establish the world and render it firm and secure. The psalmists appeal to God, who is the Creator, King, Judge, covenantal Savior, and Lawgiver. The roles in the world that God occupies are further reflec...
Jan 19, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1914
Read Psalm 19:7; Psalm 93:5; Psalm 119:165; Psalm 1:2, 6; Psalm 18:30; and Psalm 25:10. What common thread runs through them all?The Lord’s supremacy in the world as the Sovereign Creator, King, and Judge has theological implications for the reliability of His testimonies. The testimonies (Hebrew ‘edut, “decree,” “law”) refer to the body of laws and ordinances with which the Lord governs the religious and social life of His people (Exod. 32:15). They are “very sure” (Ps. 93:5), reflecting the st...
Jan 18, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 1913
The theme of God’s judgment prompts a significant question: How can God’s people have peace with God and assurance of salvation at the time of judgment? Read Ps. 94:14, Ps. 105:7−10, Dan. 7:22.God’s people are secure because the Lord placed His dwelling place in Zion (Ps. 76:1, 2) and established His everlasting covenant with them as His treasured possession (Ps. 94:14, Ps. 105:8–10). God does not simply promise not to reject His covenantal people—He actively works to keep them secure in Him. He...
Jan 17, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 1912
Read Psalm 75. Why is the boasting of the wicked in vain?As the Sovereign King, the Lord is also a Lawgiver (Ps. 99:7) and a Judge (Ps. 98:9, Ps. 97:2). The wicked constantly threaten the just order that God established in the world, but the Lord will judge the world and bring the rule of evil to its end (Ps. 75:8−10, Ps. 96:13).In Psalm 75, several images depict the irrevocable destruction of the wicked. The image of a cup with red wine (Ps. 75:8) conveys the intensity of God’s fury (Jer. 25:15...
Jan 16, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1910
Closely tied—in fact inseparably tied—to the Lord as Creator is the Lord as Sovereign, as Ruler. The declaration “The Lord reigneth” is solemnly proclaimed in Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, Psalm 97:1, and Psalm 99:1, but its echoes are heard throughout the book of Psalms.The Lord is clothed with honor, majesty, and strength (Ps. 93:1, Ps. 104:1). He is surrounded with clouds and darkness (Ps. 97:2) but also covers Himself “with light as with a garment” (Ps. 104:2). These metaphors exalt the King’s po...
Jan 15, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1909
Read Psalm 8 and Psalm 100. How are God and people portrayed in these psalms? What do these psalms reveal about God’s character?Creation plays a crucial role in the Psalms, in upholding God’s sovereignty. The heavens, which are “His handiwork,” proclaim His glory and power (Ps. 19:1−4, Ps. 97:6). God’s name is majestic in all the earth (Ps. 8:1, 9). The Lord has created everything; He has no beginning (Ps. 93:2) and no end (Ps. 102:25−27). He is everlasting and superior over the gods of the nati...
Jan 14, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1908
Read for This Week’s StudyPsalm 8, Psalm 100, Psalm 97, Psalm 75, Ps. 105:7-10, Gal. 3:26–29, Ps. 25:10.Memory Text:“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure” (Psalm 93:1, NIV).The Psalms unswervingly uphold the foundational belief in God’s sovereign reign. The Lord created and sustains everything that He had created. He is the Sovereign King over the whole world, and He rules the world with j...
Jan 13, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 1907
Read Psalm 42:8 and Ellen G. White, “Poetry and Song,” pp. 159–168, in Education. How are prayer and song related according to these inspired texts?Ellen G. White describes David’s penitent psalms (e.g. Psalm 51) as the language of his soul and prayers that illustrate the nature of true sorrow for sin (see Steps to Christ, pp. 24, 25). She encourages believers to memorize texts from the Psalms as the means of fostering the sense of God’s presence in their lives and highlights Jesus’ practice of ...
Jan 12, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 1906
Read Psalm 60:1–5. For what occasions do you think this psalm would be a suitable prayer? How can we benefit from the psalms of lament even in joyous seasons of life?Psalms of lament are generally understood as prayers of people living through trying times, whether physical, psychological, or spiritual. Or all three.However, this does not mean that we should avoid these psalms, even in good times. Sometimes there may be a total disjunction between the words of the psalm and the worshiper’s prese...
Jan 11, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 1905
We all have probably faced times when the presence of God seemed very far from us. Who, at times, has not thought: How could this have happened?The psalmists, humans like the rest of us, surely faced similar things. Though, yes, at times our sins bring trials upon us, at other times they seem to be so unfair, and we feel as if we did not deserve what we are now faced with. Again, who has not been there?Read Psalm 13. What two main moods can you distinguish in this psalm? What decision do you thi...
Jan 10, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 1904
Praying the Psalms does more than enable worshipers to articulate their prayers freely. The Psalms supervise their experience according to God’s standards and make it bearable by introducing hope and reassurance of God’s presence.Read Psalm 22. What can we learn from this psalm about trust in God amid great suffering?The lamenting words of Psalm 22:1 may help suffering people express their grief and sense of loneliness: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping M...
Jan 09, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1903
All Christians know, and have experienced, times of despair and suffering, times when they have wondered what the Lord is doing, or why the Lord is allowing these things to happen to them. The psalmists themselves went through similar things. And, through divine inspiration, they recorded what they had experienced.Read Psalm 44. What is it saying to us, and why is this relevant to believers in all ages?The selectiveness of Psalms in church worship services often reflects the exclusiveness of moo...
Jan 08, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 1902
Read Psalm 105:5, Colossians 3:16, and James 5:13. What is the place of the Psalms in the believer’s worship experience?A simple way of introducing the Psalms into daily life is to devote time each day to the reading of a psalm, beginning with Psalm 1, and following the order given in the psalter. Another way is to read the psalms that correspond to your present situation, whatever it happens to be: there are psalms of lament, the psalms of communal lament, the thanksgiving psalms, hymns, penite...
Jan 07, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 1901
Memory Text:“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples’ ” (Luke 11:1, NKJV).A belief that only spontaneous, unlearned prayer is real prayer appears to be prevalent among some Christians. However, Jesus’ disciples were immensely rewarded when they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. God placed a prayer book, the Psalms, at the heart of the Bible, not simply to show us ...
Jan 06, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 1900
Read Ellen G. White, “The Temple and Its Dedication,” pp. 35–50, in Prophets and Kings; “The Benefits of Music,” pp. 291, 292, in Messages to Young People.The book of Psalms consists of 150 psalms, which are grouped into five books: Book I (Psalms 1−41), Book II (Psalms 42−72), Book III (Psalms 73−89), Book IV (Psalms 90−106), and Book V (Psalms 107−150). The five-book division of the Psalter is an early Jewish tradition that parallels the five-book division of the Pentateuch.The book of Psalms ...
Jan 05, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 1899
Read Psalm 16:8; Psalm 44:8; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 47:1, 7; Psalm 57:2; Psalm 62:8; Psalm 82:8; and Psalm 121:7. What place does God occupy in the psalmist’s life?The world of the Psalms is wholly God-centered; it seeks to submit, in prayer and praise, all life experiences to God. God is the Sovereign Creator, the King and Judge of all the earth. He provides all things for His children. Therefore, He is to be trusted at all times. Even the enemies of God’s people ask, “ ‘Where is your God?’ ” when G...
Jan 04, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 1898
Read 2 Samuel 23:1, 2 and Romans 8:26, 27. What do these texts teach us about prayer?The Psalms are inspired prayers and praises of Israel, and so, in the Psalms the voice is that of God intermingled with that of His people. The Psalms assume the dynamics of vivid interactions with God.The psalmists address God personally as “my God,” “O Lord,” and “my King” (Ps. 5:2, Ps. 84:3). The psalmists often implore God to “give ear” (Ps. 5:1), “hear my prayer” (Ps. 39:12), “look” (Ps. 25:18), “answer me”...
Jan 03, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 1897
Read Psalm 3, Psalm 33:1–3, and Psalm 109:6–15. What different facets of human experience do these psalms convey?The Psalms make the believing community aware of the full range of human experience, and they demonstrate that believers can worship God in every season in life. In them we see the following:(1) Hymns that magnify God for His majesty and power in creation, His kingly rule, judgment, and faithfulness. (2) Thanksgiving psalms that express profound gratitude for God’s abundant blessings....
Jan 02, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 1896
King David, whose name appears in the titles of most psalms, was active in organizing the liturgy of Israel’s worship. He is called “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Sam. 23:1). The New Testament attests to Davidic authorship of various psalms (Matt. 22:43–45; Acts 2:25–29, 34, 35; Acts 4:25; Rom. 4:6–8). Numerous psalms were composed by the temple musicians who were also Levites: for example, Psalm 50 and Psalms 73−83 by Asaph; Psalm 42, Psalms 44−47, Psalm 49, Psalm 84, Psalm 85, Psalms 87−88 ...
Jan 01, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 1895
Read 1 Chronicles 16:7, Nehemiah 12:8, Psalm 18:1, Psalm 30:1, Psalm 92:1, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 105:2, Colossians 3:16, and James 5:13. What were the occasions that prompted the writing of some psalms? When did God’s people use the Psalms?The Psalms were composed for use in private and in communal worship. They were sung as hymns in temple worship, as suggested by the musical annotations that mention instruments (Ps. 61:1), tunes (Ps. 9:1), and music leaders (Ps. 8:1).In the Hebrew Bible, the title...
Dec 31, 2023•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1894
Read for This Week’s Study1 Chron. 16:7; Neh. 12:8; Ps. 25:1–5; Ps. 33:1–3; Rom. 8:26, 27; Ps. 82:8; Ps. 121:7.Memory Text:“Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44, 45, NKJV).The Psalms have been a prayer book and hymnbook for both Jews ...
Dec 30, 2023•6 min•Season 5Ep. 1893
The Psalms are prayers and hymns of the Bible par excellence. Uttered in praise, joy, sorrow, and despair; spoken or sung in private and in the public by laypeople, kings, poets, and priests; coming from both the righteous and repentant sinners, the Psalms have served as the prayer book and the hymnbook to generations of believers. The book of Psalms owes its distinct role to the fact that while most of the Bible speaks to us, the Psalms speak for us and with us. The Psalms are a source of bless...
Dec 29, 2023•6 min•Season 5Ep. 1892
“The great plan of redemption results in fully bringing back the world into God’s favor. All that was lost by sin is restored. Not only man but the earth is redeemed, to be the eternal abode of the obedient. For six thousand years Satan has struggled to maintain possession of the earth. Now God’s original purpose in its creation is accomplished. ‘The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’ ”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets,...
Dec 29, 2023•13 min•Season 5Ep. 1891
Read Revelation 21:1–4 and Revelation 21:22–22:5. What is the scene described here?What a paradise the new earth will be! Death and sin will be gone, Satan and wickedness destroyed. We will meet our loving Savior and reunite with loved ones. And the new earth will be populated with representatives from every ethnicity and language.The General Conference Mission Board has approved Global Mission metrics that can be used to determine whether a people group is reached or unreached. A “reached peopl...
Dec 28, 2023•11 min•Season 5Ep. 1890
What is success in mission? We might be tempted to think that it is many baptisms, big churches, and rapid growth rates. We might feel that success consists of entering every tribe and people group on earth with the truth and that we can speed it up by using radio, the internet, and TV. While all of this can be good, we must remember what Paul wrote to the community of faith in Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6, NKJV). In other words, our focus is to be...
Dec 27, 2023•9 min•Season 5Ep. 1889
Jesus said to His disciples and to us: “ ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matt. 28:19, 20, NKJV). This is the Great Commission, and in many ways the three angels’ messages, with a call to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Rev. 14:6, NKJV), is simply the “present...
Dec 26, 2023•12 min•Season 5Ep. 1888
